that tethered mind is free
by Regal-Song
Summary: Regina finds herself on the other side of the town line; she has no knowledge of who she is or where she comes from. She has a chance to start over, to be the person she's always wanted. But can she be the girl who loved Daniel in that stable all those years ago, if she doesn't even remember her? [Regina/OC]
1. Chapter 1

This fic was previously posted, in full, on AO3. I wanted to share here. I hope any who haven't read it before, enjoy it!

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Jack pushed through the door of the small, out of the way diner; always his first stop upon arriving home from weeks out at sea. The door was framed with frosted string-lights – the same bulb always flickering just at eye level – moss grew on the deck rail just by the corners, where an old apple tree loomed over the entrance; and inside the temperature was warm and cosy, a stark difference to the damp chill hanging over the sleepy town.

"Hey Jack, you're home early. Coffee?" He smiled at the portly woman behind the counter – her hair was pulled up in a tight bun on the top of her head, her reading glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah, thanks Rosy, we got in a day ahead of time. But what can you do, when the load is full?" He leant against the counter, smirking at her and winking his eye.

"So, a successful catch then?"

"Best this year." He grinned broadly. "So how about a piece of pie to go with that coffee?"

"Sure, celebratory pie coming right up!" She grinned, patting his arm as though she were reassuring herself that he was really there, in the flesh. "What kind would you like?"

Something caught Jack's eye as Rosy spoke, his attention being drawn to the almost always empty booth right up the back of the diner where a woman currently sat. She had a dark coat on, with a blue scarf wrapped tightly around her neck; her hair was short and dark, flicking out at the ends, brushing against her cheeks.

The diner wasn't a large place, tucked down a side road just shy of the woods with a dirt track up the side and a clientele that consisted of local fisherman and farmhands; rarely even noticed by their next-to non-existent tourism scene. The chairs were all a dark minty-green, straight off the floor of a nineteen fifties, New York diner and the wall's were littered with pictures of the local heroes; sepia stained, blurry images dating back generations. Jack's father was up there, right by the bow of the _Mary-Jane_, and his grandfather too, holding the largest Swordfish ever caught off the coast of New England.

Rosy followed his line of sight; a small knowing smile tipping the corners of her mouth up as she watched him study the woman. "She wandered in about an hour ago," Jack turned back to her, noting the worried crease of her brows. "Poor thing must have been walking a while and in those shoes." Jack looked down beneath the table, where the woman had her feet set firmly together in a pair of shiny, black patent pumps caked with a layer of mud. "She almost hobbled in here but refused to take them off. Hasn't said much, just been sitting there reading that same magazine. I finally got her to have some cocoa just before you came in, warm her up a bit."

"What's her name?" He looked Rosy in the eye. "Do you know where she's from?"

Rosy shrugged. "Don't know, darling; how about you go find out."

"Yeah," He spoke absently, watching the woman put a finger to the whipped cream on top of her cocoa and slowly, almost hesitantly, take it into her mouth; frowning as she pulled her finger away. "You'll bring my coffee over?"

"Sure thing, sweetheart; and how about that pie?"

Jack grinned, patting her hand against the counter. "Surprise me."

He watched the woman twitch in her seat, she turned away from his approach; not noticing him cross to her as she gazed out the window at the trees that came right up to the building. Damp, moss-covered saplings next to thick-trunked Mountain Maples drew the eye out to the dense forest beyond.

Jack caught her frown as she turned her eyes back down to her cocoa, her lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at the cup.

"Best in the state, that cocoa." He stated, smirking when she startled just slightly and looked up at him. Her large eyes were a rich chocolate, framed with dark liner and her lips – pressed firmly together – were a full and deep red. She looked like a professional woman; on closer inspection he could see that her coat was tailored and her gloves were of a genuine, dark leather – not the cheap vinyl kind they sold down at the nearest Wal-Mart, which was at least five miles away – her entire image she presented was of a woman on her way to a business conference. But from the look in her eye, he wondered if it was something entirely different.

"It doesn't taste quite right." She stated simply, smiling as best she could as she shivered and pulled her jacket tighter. It surprised him that she could be cold when Rosy had the heating right up and the hot cocoa she had pressed between her palms, was still steaming.

"I like mine with a little whiskey," He smirked, gesturing to the seat across from her and with a brief but genuine smile, she allowed him to sit. "But don't tell my boss that, he'll never let me have cocoa on the job." The quip earned him a small chuckle, her lips parting just slightly with an earnest smile before she stared back down at the table between them. "Honestly though, you should drink it, it'll warm you right through." For a moment she just blinked at him. "Also the name's Jack, by the way, Jack Wallace."

She nodded slowly with a small smile. "Do you know," She looked across to the counter – Jack noticed that she didn't respond with her own name, but he mentioned nothing of it – where Rosy was pulling a piece of pie from the display and popping it on a plate with extra cream. "Do you know if they have cinnamon here?"

"Cinnamon?" He laughed. "On cocoa?"

"Yeah," She twirled the mug in front of her, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know why, I just think that might make it a bit better."

"Well then, let's get you some cinnamon" He clicked his fingers, gesturing to Rosy who was already halfway over with his coffee and pie. Rosy just rolled her eyes, mock-ignoring him as she cast the younger woman a long-suffering smile. "Rosy," She feigned annoyance and the dark-eyed woman across the booth blushed just a little at the display on her behalf. "Some cinnamon for the lady."

"Mm," Rosy grinned. "Cinnamon on cocoa? That sounds wonderfully decadent, I'll grab you some."

"Thank you." The woman's thanks were genuine and Jack winked at her as Rosy left them alone once more.

"Character quirk, is it? The cinnamon."

She cleared her throat. "Oh, I don't know." She shrugged off the question quickly, averting her eyes and twisting the edge of her scarf with her fingertips. Jack just watched her for a moment, making note of how nervous she'd suddenly become.

They were silent for a time, Rosy returned with her cinnamon and he watched her as she sprinkled it lightly on top. He took a pause to shovel a few forkfuls of Rosy's famous apple pie into his mouth, before gulping down at least half of his coffee then looking back up at her with a broad grin. "So," He smiled around a mouth still full of pie, attempting to chew it away and swallow as politely as possible. He'd just forgotten how much he loved Rosy's pie. "What's your name?"

"I -" She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, shifting back against the frame as far as she could as she placed the mug back on the surface. She had finally raised it halfway to her lips, when he'd stopped her with his question and he internally kicked himself for not even allowing her that one sip he had been hoping she'd take. She looked into his eyes then and he noticed a sort of pain there that was both startling and intriguing at the same time. This woman was a mystery to him, a strange, rather beautiful mystery that had him wanting to know where she'd come from. She glanced around the diner and he could deduce only that she was studying her surroundings, wondering – as he was – over every little detail. But where he was studying the stranger in his midst, she was studying a world from which she sat outside.

She took a few moments, her eyes drifting from one person to the next as she worried her bottom lip. He glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of a few of his crew wandering in the door for their own share of Rosy's signature hospitality and this woman watched them all, her dark eyes wide and dare he believe it, almost fearful. "You know, I," She looked down at her hands and he could see that she was fiddling with something in her lap, but with the table blocking his view he wasn't sure what it could be. "I don't really know, who I am, actually."

She laughed nervously and Jack was taken aback for a moment. She looked so calm and put-together, her appearance was so immaculate and so professional, he'd assumed she was just a businesswoman who was going to tell him that her Mercedes had broken down back on the main road.  
To say he was shocked was an understatement.

"I'm sorry," He blinked. "You mean, you don't know who you -" She raised her hands up onto the table suddenly – effectively cutting him off – and he caught sight of what it was she'd been fiddling with. It was a small piece of paper, a note, folded in half just once and dog-eared at the corners.

"I don't remember anything. I have this, I mean, it's not much but there's a name on it and I've been sitting here wondering if it might be me. You know, it was just," She twitched. "I found it in my pocket as I was walking and it looks like it's been there a while," She held it out to him and with a tentative hand, he took it; unfolding it with care as the paper – kind of like parchment writing paper with a thick, almost fabric-like weave and the ink slightly bleeding – was quite old and worn at the folds.

"_Regina, meet me at the stables. Xx."_ He read the note aloud, staring down at it for a long moment before folding it back up and placing it back in her out-stretched hand. "And that's all you know?" He questioned and she nodded, folding the piece of paper into a satin handkerchief before placing it back in her pocket. "You don't have anything else on you that'll tell you who you are?"

"I've checked every pocket of my coat, my trousers," She sighed, her eyes starting to glisten. "I don't have anything else. Just enough coins in my pocket to pay for this," She looked forlornly down at the cocoa with the cream slowly melting into the mug as the liquid cooled.

He leaned forward just a little. "Do you know where you come from?" She shook her head, her eyes just slightly glassy. "What about your family?" She shrugged.

"I don't know."

Jack looked around the diner for a moment, licking his lips, wondering what could possibly be done. He hadn't thought when he sat down across from her; that this would be the outcome. She looked so calm about it, as though somehow she knew that there was no one to miss her and she'd made peace with it. Were it not for the almost-tear in her eye, he'd think she actually believed that, but something was telling him it wasn't true. He couldn't believe that she had no one; he didn't want to believe it.

"How long has it been since you ate?"

She looked up at him, blinking. "I," She paused, glancing down at his empty plate of pie, seeing the crumbs and the remnants of the cream he'd all but inhaled. "I honestly don't know."

"Did you drive here?"

"No," She shook her head. "No, I was just walking. There were trees all around, no road, just trees until I found this place."

"You walked through the forest, in those shoes?" He scoffed and she shrugged her shoulders, the smallest smile on her lips as she shuffled in her seat. He studied her for a long moment, frowning as she fidgeted and twirled the mug where it sat before her. "You don't have anywhere to go, do you?"

"No," Her voice was a hoarse whisper and he noticed that she pressed her eyes closed tightly for a moment, glancing out the window to avoid looking at him. Clearly the whole ordeal was causing her a great deal of pain, but seeing as she wasn't entirely sure who she was, she didn't seem to know what to feel. There was pain in her eyes, but also emptiness in her stare where he imagined something profound used to be. He had the overwhelming feeling that there was something special about this woman; he just couldn't quite put his finger on what.

"Well then, Regina," He cleared his throat and she looked up at him again, her eyes wide when he used the name she only wondered belonged to her. But he'd decided that he liked it and that somehow, it suited her, so he was going to use it. "I have a spare room and some clean sweats back at my place; might even have a pair of thick, fluffy socks if you're lucky."

"Oh, no, I couldn't."

"Hey, you can't stay here forever and I promise you I'm a total gentleman. It can be just for one night if you want; but judging by the look of you, you're not too accustomed to sleeping outside, are you?"

She looked down at what she was wearing; he smirked as she inspected her nails and raised a hand absently to the gold necklace hidden just beneath her scarf. "No," She smirked. "I guess you're right."

"Okay," He clapped his hands together. "Burgers to-go, on me, and I'll give you the grand tour of our misty little cove. How's that sound?"

She looked at him through her lashes and he caught the faint blush on her cheeks as she nodded her head. "Okay," she smiled then, averting her eyes as he called Rosy over to order their burgers. The older woman didn't say a word about them leaving together, just smiled gently at Regina as the pair made their way from the diner. He caught sight of Rosy squeezing her hand gently and Regina answered the gesture in kind, thanking his older friend with a sincere smile before they made their way out to his truck.

His rusty old pickup was parked just out front; it had a missing hub-cap on the front right wheel and there was a deep indentation in the passenger side door that he'd never really thought about fixing.

Being the absolute gentleman he'd promised to be, he opened the door for Regina, taking her gloved hand gently and guiding her into the cabin with a flourish. He figured it wouldn't hurt to treat her like a queen, at least until she was a little more comfortable with what was going on. She looked lost and whilst he could see strength in her – whatever it was that was keeping her from breaking down into tears – he could see vulnerability too.

To Be Continued.


	2. Chapter 2

"This village is sweet," Regina commented as they made their way down the main road. Rosy's diner was on the outskirts of town, high up on the hill just before the forest got dark. You could see the bay from there, but the roads were steep down towards the water where the fishing boats lined the over-crowded marina. Jack smiled broadly at the compliment, rather proud of his home and glad that she liked it - even though he'd spent less and less time immersed in it as the year had rolled on. He'd always thought it was sweet, in a quiet, slow kind of way. Nothing there moved too quickly, except when there was a call for a sweet spot, in which case all the men of the town – and a small handful of the women – made a mad-dash for the boats.

"Probably not quite the speed you're used to."

"I wouldn't know," She sighed and Jack wanted to kick himself. Five minutes into the drive from Rosy's and he'd forgotten the whole reason why she was with him in the first place.

"Sorry. I didn't-" She shook her head, waving her hand with a smile.

"It's alright, I promise."

"Right."

Jack managed to find something for Regina to wear – a pair of old sweatpants that he'd barely ever worn and a slightly loved University of New England hoodie that draped over her hands because the sleeves were far too long.

"You studied at this school?" She questioned gesturing to the emblem on the hoodie as she pulled her sock-clad feet up onto the sofa and wrapped her arms around her knees. She tugged the sleeves of the hoodie over her hands, locking them tightly within the fabric to keep warm and he smirked at the image. She looked so much smaller than when he'd met her; tucked up in a ball on the sofa wearing his baggy clothes, her face cleaned of the make-up that had been starting to run. She looked fresh, less frightened and he could see by the color of her cheeks that she was no longer frozen to the bone.

"Yeah," He answered. "-for about a semester but then discovered study wasn't really for me."

"So what do you do instead?" She smiled her thanks as he handed her a cup of tea and he smiled at the way she made sure to grip the mug through the sleeves of the hoodie, using the fabric as a buffer for the heat.

"Swordfish." He answered as he dropped into the sofa beside her.

"Swordfish?" She raised her eyebrows as she blew steam from her tea. Jack tried not to look at her lips but he found himself licking his own at the sight, his mouth going just the slightest bit dry.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, it's great. I spend a few weeks at sea, it's grueling but then we come home and I get a few weeks off. And it's fantastic because we keep our own hours and we're like a family, you know?"

Regina just sighed as she took a sip of her tea.

"I'll show you the boat sometime, if you like."

"Yeah," She smiled, snuggling further down into the cushions with a contented expression. "That'd be lovely."

They sat in silence for a while; the fire crackled before them and Jack spent the time just watching her. Regina seemed to be fascinated with everything around her and he supposed, when you had no memories to hide in, everything around you became more interesting. She was like a small child trying to orient themselves with the world. She had no idea where she was, probably didn't know how certain things worked, wasn't sure where she'd come from; but she wanted to understand everything around her.

His home wasn't anything special. Dark-wood paneling with mainly recycled furniture; none of his chairs matched and any artwork that hung on the walls was some majestic crayon creation his nieces had insisted he frame. He had a stack of shelves behind the sofa that housed a broad array of blown-glass sculptures and he could see that they'd caught Regina's eye.

"These are beautiful," She reached over the back of the sofa, touching a blown-glass dolphin with her fingertips. It was in that moment Jack noticed the delicate emerald ring on her finger, twisted toward the palm of her hand as though she'd completely forgotten it was there. It made him wonder if she had someone waiting for her, back wherever she'd come from.

"I made them."

Regina turned to him suddenly, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open just slightly. "You made these?"

He nodded.

Regina turned back to the sculptures, studying them even closer. She set her tea on the small table beside them and sat up straighter, reaching up to a higher shelf where there was a small blown-glass apple. She turned to him, as if asking permission to pick it up. He just smiled and nodded his head, gesturing for her to take it. The apple was a deep red; he'd put great effort into creating a gentle swirl with the red and the clear glass, giving the apple depth and texture before adding the very fine green leaf to the top of it. It was about half the size of a regular apple and fit perfectly in the palms of her hands a she held it in her lap just staring at it.

"I think this is my favorite," She looked up at him through her lashes and he was suddenly struck by how lovely she was. He'd seen it all afternoon, but sitting with her, just talking to her quietly like this – with the light from the fire dancing across her face - starting to hope that the ring on her finger was just that – and that there was no other man attached to it. He started to fear that he'd fallen for her already, when neither of them knew who might be out there looking for her.

"You can keep it, if you like."

"Oh, no, I couldn't."

"I insist."

She smiled up at him, pressing the apple to her chest with the most earnest smile. "Thank you. It's so beautiful." He watched her trace her thumb over the glass, holding the small object in the palm of her hand, marveling at it.

Rather suddenly he had the overwhelming feeling that he wanted to kiss her, so instead, cleared his throat and clambered from the sofa. Regina blinked, watching him move as he crossed the room, running his fingers through his short, dark hair.

"Are you alright?"

Her gentle voice turned him back around and he forced a smile, so suddenly uncomfortable in his own home. "Yeah, fine, just tired; I'm sure you must be too." Regina punctuated his statement with a perfectly timed yawn, which caused him to laugh gently. "I suppose that answers that."

"Yeah." She agreed.

"Okay, well when I said I had a spare room, I really meant I have a sofa. But you can have my bed and I'll sleep out here."

"Oh, no." Regina set the glass apple beside her tea cup and stood up. "I couldn't take your bed, please, I've imposed enough."

"No no," He raised his hands. "I insist. You've been through a lot and the bed's a lot more comfy."

"But I'm smaller, I won't be as cramped as you will out here."

"Regina," He lowered his voice, ensuring it sounded soft and reassuring. "Please, take it. The sheets are clean; I promise there's no dirty laundry lying about."

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes wide and pleading before she finally relented with a small smile and a reluctant nod of the head. "Alright."

To Be Continued.


	3. Chapter 3

Henry sat with his back to everyone else in the room. He'd finally found where he belonged, or so he had thought. Mary-Margaret and Emma had finally returned from the Enchanted forest and whilst they'd brought with them the knowledge of evils the town wasn't entirely equipped to face, they'd also brought back hope that they were all going to finally be a family. Emma had accepted David and Mary-Margaret, or Snow and Charming as her parents and he'd come to the understanding that Emma was willing to do anything she could to protect him, to get back to him.

Snow recounted the tale of everything she had done in his name, but as he looked over his shoulder and caught Emma's eye, he couldn't help but feel the shame of what had happened since.

He was ten years old; he knew there was no way he could completely understand his world but he'd tried so hard to understand his place in it. When the curse had broken he'd thought that everything was going to be magically transformed, but everything had stayed relatively the same. Mr Gold was still against everyone, unless there was something he wanted but his Gramps had gone from the soft-spoken pet-shelter guy to their badge-wearing Sheriff and his Mom – Henry sighed deeply, looking down at his hands where he clutched his mother's picture – his Mom was gone.

No one was entirely sure how it had happened. Snow and Emma had returned in a cloud of fire and that rich purple smoke that had engulfed the town the day the curse was broken. They'd appeared in the middle of the main street at the throats of two others he'd never seen before. There had been a woman in a wonderful gown that he'd later learned was his Grandmother and a man who looked like he'd walked straight off the plank of the most incredible pirate ship.

The man's name was Hook. The woman's name was Cora and Emma had told him to run. He hadn't hesitated. He'd bolted until his feet had hurt and he'd stumbled through the door of the house he'd shared with his Mom for the first ten years of his life. He'd called out for her, wanting for one of the hugs he'd always shoved away; but after shouting for her, after running up the stairs to his room, to hers and back down to the yard he'd discovered she was nowhere to be found.

Later, after Cora and Hook were trapped in a magical web Mr Gold had wrapped around them – a temporary fix, he'd insisted – Happy had mentioned that he'd seen Regina wandering down to the toll bridge before the commotion had all occurred.

The worst had only been confirmed when David, Emma and the Dwarves had walked the town perimeter, only to see the evidence of what must have occurred. They'd found Regina's handbag hanging open over the edge of a fallen tree; the contents were strewn across the forest floor and there were sure signs of a tumble. As ridiculous and unbelievable as it sounded, they'd deduced that when the purple haze had overtaken the town, when the ground had shook Emma and Snow back into their world, Regina must have stumbled and fallen over the town line.

What she'd been doing out by the limits, no one knew – except perhaps Mr Gold – and Henry only blamed himself for driving her away.

He knew Emma kept looking at him, but he couldn't bring himself to meet the eyes of anyone crowding his Mom's living-room. The house was so huge, but there'd never been more than a handful of people there at any given time. It was so unusual for him to see it so full of people, especially when his Mom wasn't there.

"Hey kid, you okay?" Emma's voice shook him out of his thoughts and on reflex, the picture of his Mom – with one arm wrapped around him from behind and the other reaching out above them to try and get a good shot of both of them and their Christmas tree – was quickly pressed to his chest.

He'd been saying for a long time that his Mom was evil, but since he'd opened the book Mary-Margaret had given him, he'd forgotten all about the pictures she'd taken of the two of them together; awkward shots from strange angles, because there had been no one else there to take the photos.

They had been happy once; taking happy photos, with smiles and presents and sunbeams glaring the image as he'd tried to take a picture of her when he was five years old. That one had always been his favorite, because it was out of focus and bright orange but you could see the sunlight through her hair and she'd been smiling down at him.

"No, I'm not." He admitted and Emma squeezed his arm gently. He knew she wasn't cruel enough to throw it in his face that this is exactly what he'd asked for, but he also knew deep down, that they all thought it at one point. They'd all wanted her gone; they'd all blamed her and even though she'd been trying to be good, they still couldn't forgive her.

The moment he realized she might never come back, was the moment he didn't care about anything she may or may not have done, in evil's name. The moment Emma walked back through the front door, with his Mom's purse in her hand and Henry saw his Mom's keys – still adorned with the key-chain he'd made in second grade – he knew exactly where he belonged.

"Henry,"

He cut Emma off. "We have to go find her."

"Henry, there's a lot going on here. Cora and Hook, we've got a lot to –"

"She's my _Mom_." He inched away from Emma on the couch, looking at her with tears in his eyes. "She went away because I asked her to. But I didn't want this."

"Henry..."

"No, we have to because you and I are the only ones that can leave, I'm sure of it. We have to go and we have to bring her back."

"But Henry, she won't remember us."

"Then we'll make her remember."

"You know it won't be that easy. We don't even know if she'll be able to remember."

Henry looked down at his hands, tipping the photo frame up so that he could see his Mom's smiling face looking back at him. She'd done a lot of evil in her life and he'd seen her treat Emma with a cruel malice, but she'd only ever tried to love him. He saw that now. Everything she'd ever done was to protect him; it was all in the hopes that she'd never lose him.

"She'd do it for me."

Emma sighed, reaching out for his hand. She gripped it in her own, finally seeing the small framed photo in his lap and found herself nodding.

"Alright."

To Be Continued.


	4. Chapter 4

It was the middle of the night when Jack woke to the sound of screaming. He tumbled from the sofa, disoriented and wrapped in so many blankets and sheets that he went face first into the floor with a loud thud. He wriggled his ankles free, struggling across the room to get away from the blankets that almost seemed alive, the way they refused to release their hold on him in his haste. But once he managed to shove them off, he staggered to his feet, only then noticing that the room around him shook; a lamp fell to the floor and a few of his blown-glass figures fell from the highest shelves.

He was momentarily stunned by what was going on; never in his life had he ever witnessed an earthquake – the area wasn't prone to them and he'd never even heard an account of one near-by. But the sound of Regina's screaming brought him out of his thoughts, realizing that very sound was the reason he'd staggered off the sofa in the first place, he made a dash for the hall.

He tripped over his pillow on the way, knocking over another lamp and ignoring the loud crash of a glass-doored cabinet at the end of the hall, shattering as it fell.

He fell through the bedroom door and dashed for the bed, finding Regina still asleep and thrashing about. Her face was contorted in unimaginable pain as she swung her arms about and screamed for help.

He grabbed her by the shoulders, calling her name and attempting to gently shake her. But she struggled to wake. She continued to thrash and scream, her fist collected his jaw just once before her eyes shot open and it wasn't lost on him that when her eyes locked on his, the shaking suddenly stopped.

Like the eye of a storm, the entire house was eerily silent.

Jack was stunned.

He looked around them, listening to the sound of absolute silence but for Regina's ragged breathing and the feel of her fingernails digging into his biceps. "Jack," She breathed, falling into his arms and for a moment, he was far too stunned to respond. His eyes continued to scan the room, waiting for the shaking to start again or for some kind of aftershock to hit; but nothing happened. Regina's tears started to seep through his shirt and only then did his arms slowly wrap around her; realizing that she was weeping against him.

"It's alright," He shushed her. "It was just a nightmare."

"There was this little boy," She sobbed, wiping at her eyes and trying to sit up, trying to tidy herself up. "And he was so scared. He was calling for me but I couldn't get to him; he just wanted help, Jack, and I couldn't help him. And there were these figures, so many dark figures just looming, pointing at me."

Jack found himself reaching up to brush the hair away that had fallen in her eyes. In all her tossing and turning, the gentle waves of her dark hair had turned into a full-blown tumult of thick, wild locks bunched on her head and blocking her eyes. He brushed it away, letting his fingers linger on her cheek for just long enough for her to realize it was too long. She tensed up just a little, staring into his eyes. But she didn't pull away; she wasn't afraid.

Jack quickly retrieved his hand, tucking it into his lap as he smiled reassuringly. "It was just a nightmare."

"Do you think it could have anything to do with my past?"

"Nah, I don't think so. Nightmares are just nightmares."

Regina clung to his arms a little longer, conscious of their proximity but Jack made a deliberate effort to try and avoid making her uncomfortable. He'd known her only hours and was starting to realize that it was getting harder and harder not to just touch her. Her hands in his were warm, comfortable; a perfect fit. And even though her heart was still racing, her breathing was still ragged and her shirt was twisted and rumpled, she looked beautiful.

He'd only known her a day and he wanted to protect her from whatever it was she feared. He hadn't felt that before. He didn't quite know what to do with that kind of emotion and a part of him hoped it was just some strange form of lust. But he didn't necessarily want to kiss her in that moment – even though after they'd set their finished burger plates on the table earlier that night, he'd had to try very hard not to – it was more that he had the overwhelming desire to defend her against the world; to wrap her up in his arms and stay up all night, fighting off the dreams that had the gall to disturb her.

He'd always been good at judging people, watching how they moved, how they spoke; he understood things about people that most others missed. His sister had told him so many times that it was a gift but to him, it was just a hobby; something interesting to pass the time.

Looking at Regina he saw something special. He couldn't work out what it was, but it was anything but dark. Her smile – what little of it he'd seen – was wide and lovely, her eyes were warm, deep and honest; but there was an unidentifiable glimmer there that had him curious. She seemed to be missing something and he wondered if it was just her memories, or something more. Something had been taken from her and even though she couldn't remember what it was, it showed in her expressions; in the way she looked when she'd thought he wasn't watching her.

His first impression of her was kindness and even though he'd never met anyone with amnesia before, he'd always been of the strong belief that if a person really forgot everything about themselves, they'd be reduced to the basest form of their being. They'd become their purest self – so even if Regina's nightmare was somehow real, he was looking into the eyes of the real Regina and there was nothing sinister about her. Just a pretty girl lost in the woods, who needed someone to help her find her way home.

"Maybe you should try and get back to sleep," He smiled as he noticed her eyes drooping. She must have still been so exhausted. She nodded her head, hugging him loosely before lowering herself back against the pillows. He was caught off-guard by the hug, blinking as he watched her close her eyes and curl herself against the pillow. She licked her lips, sighing quietly as she drifted back to sleep faster than he would have thought.

To Be Continued.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina's eyes opened slowly. Sunlight streamed through the windows right onto her face as she stretched and rolled over, pressing her face into the pillow for a moment as she sighed. Her sleep had been restless, fitful and she vaguely remembered Jack shaking her awake. She couldn't remember the dream that had put her in such a state that her screaming had woken him, but she could remember the look in his eyes.

The moon had illuminated his face and all she'd been able to see before she'd fallen against his chest in tears, was the worry. He'd panicked and for a moment it had made her wonder about him; about what kind of man he was. She'd only known him for hours and he was fretting over her, worrying about her state; gently touching her face with such familiarity that she tensed up and averted her gaze. The expression on his face had been so intense, like he saw something in her that he'd seen before.

It made her wonder what exactly he'd been through, to be so kind and yet so closed off. He'd appeared for the all the world like an honest, easy-going guy. But she could see in his eyes that a spark had been ignited. He looked afraid for her and seemed like the weight of her issues had fallen on his shoulders.

She'd have run a mile, if she'd had anywhere to go. But he'd offered her his home, his bed and his clothes. He'd offered her a safe place to stay and she was grateful and curious about his eyes. There was a pain in his expression; every time he looked at her she could see it, along with that nagging feeling that deep down, he was trying so terribly hard not to lean over and kiss her.

Regina stretched, throwing the blankets aside and pulling the hoodie he'd given her the night before, back over her head. It was far too big, the sleeves dangling over her hands and the hem falling almost halfway down her thighs; but she felt safe in it and warm so he hugged it closer and quietly padded her way out into the living room.

She was caught off-guard by the mess. There was broken glass in the hall, lying beneath a fallen cabinet. A lamp lay strewn across the living-room floor and another had been tossed in the bin that stood in the centre of the room. There was a dustpan and brush just laying on the ground, with ceramic from the lamp brushed into the pan, but everything had been left mid-task and Jack was nowhere to be seen.

She wondered what had happened. She remembered that she'd woken with a start, she'd felt the bed rocking but had thought that it was just Jack's weight crashing into it in his haste to reach her. But considering the destruction of the living-room, she could only imagine it was some kind of earthquake that had shaken the house.

"Hey,"

Jack's voice startled her and she turned around quickly, pressing her hand to her heart as he squeezed through the sliding glass doors that lead to the deck. It was a side entrance that she'd realized he used, as opposed to the front door that seemed perpetually locked. Jack smiled gently, holding out a tray with two coffees and a brown paper bag that smelled like a bakery.  
"I got bagels." His grin broadened and Regina matched it, taking the bag from him and carefully – in her bare feet – made her way to the kitchen.

"Thank you." She nodded, watching him toss a backpack onto the sofa as he followed her.

"I went to my sister's," He shrugged, as way of an explanation as to why he wasn't there when she'd woken up. But Regina just smiled; he didn't need to explain himself to her but she felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought that he felt he should. "I told her about you," Regina looked up at him through her lashes, noticing his blush and the way he hedged just slightly; his sister must have asked him some uncomfortable questions. "She gave me some clothes for you."

"Oh, that's lovely of her. Thank you," Regina popped the top off one of the coffees and took a deep breath in, smelling the wonderful bitterness of the roast. "I don't know how to thank you for everything."

"Oh, it's alright, I don't mind and the clothes are probably going to be too big anyway," He shrugged as if it was no big deal. "She's quite a bit taller than you."

"Oh, well," Regina looked down at what she was currently wearing with a little chuckle.

"Yeah, anything's better than my old sweats, right?" He laughed gently and Regina smirked, picking up a bagel and taking a bite.

"So," She looked around the house as she finished chewing the bite of bagel in her mouth. "What happened here?"

Jack frowned. "You know, I'm not really sure. I thought it was an earthquake but when I was up at my sister's she said they didn't feel a thing and there wasn't anything on the news either. And Mr Paterson next door," He gestured with his thumb to the northern end of the house. "He said he didn't feel anything either."

"That's strange,"

Regina didn't notice the way Jack was studying her. She'd been asleep for most of the ordeal, wrapped up in a nightmare that had completely taken her in and she hadn't seen or felt the whole house shake, but he had.

"Yeah," He nodded. "Really strange."

To Be Continued.


	6. Chapter 6

Henry and Emma stood side by side with their toes touching the red spray-painted line that Grumpy had painted on the road. The engine of Emma's yellow bug hummed behind them and Henry was fairly certain their hearts were beating faster than the engine was ticking over.

"You don't have to do this, Henry."

"Yes, I do." He stared straight ahead, his voice firm and his gaze steady on the road ahead of them. Emma could see that he was afraid; he was a little boy who wanted to find his Mom. He believed fairytales and heroes and she could see that he wanted to be one, but he was still a little boy, scared and so suddenly alone.

She loved him and she knew that he loved her back, but with everything that had happened, she couldn't deny the connection he had with Regina. With everything that he'd said, everything that he'd claimed he wanted, she could see that he loved his mother; a lot more than she'd chosen to believe from the very beginning.

Regina was right and a part of Emma hated to admit it.

"Henry, I meant I can do it alone, if you want."

He turned to her then, looking up at her with glistening eyes and a frown on his lips. She'd do anything for him and if that meant going after his mother, on the off-chance she might be alive and still the woman they'd known, then she'd do it. No matter what her relationship with the woman; If Henry asked, she'd bring Regina home and stand her in front of him with a big red bow around her neck.

"No," He stood firm, turning his eyes back to the road and the red line at his toes. "No, she went away because of me. I have to get her back."

Before Emma could even open her mouth, Henry had hopped over the line. She held her breath for a long moment, terrified that the curse may have touched him. But when Henry turned around with a broad smile on his lips she let out the breath.

"I'm fine!" He bounced on the balls of his feet. "I'm still me, come on!" He reached for her hand, grabbing a hold and dragging her after him. Emma didn't even realize how tightly she'd pressed her eyes closed – having come full circle from not believing to actually thinking she may be wrapped up in the curse – and Henry just laughed as she staggered on the pavement, pausing as she waited for some almighty cloud of magic to smite her.

Nothing happened.

Emma met Henry's eyes and for the first time since they realized where Regina had gone, the boy looked hopeful.

"This just might work." She found herself smiling, unable to stop herself when she could see so much excitement in his eyes.

"Let's go find my Mom." He dashed back to the car, hopping in and pulling on his seat-belt before Emma even had a chance to contemplate what had just occurred. He waved at her to hurry up and she nodded with a nervous smile on her lips as she headed back to the car.

She climbed in slowly, wrapping her head around the situation before pulling the car into gear and driving over the line, away from Storybrooke for the first time in months.

To Be Continued.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack and Regina kept to themselves for a few days; she found herself comfortable enough in his company to stay and he found that he rather liked that choice. He drove them through the town a few times and she liked looking out the windows at the people in the streets, but every time he asked her if she wanted to hop out and meet some of them, she shut down just a little – she went quiet and she asked if maybe they could do it another time.

He didn't push her and she was grateful, but she was finding it increasingly more frustrating to be asked a personal question and not have any kind of answer, not even for herself. She didn't know if she was a good person, if she liked strawberries or if she believed in a higher power. She set the blown-glass apple on her bedside and stared at it for a few minutes every night before she went to sleep. She didn't know what drew her to it, only that she found it fascinating and loved it all the more because _he'd_ made it; and that feeling was making her increasingly more nervous.

She found herself – as the days drew on – increasingly more drawn to Jack. They'd walk down by the marina and he'd cross paths with members of his crew – they greeted each other like brothers, always with warm embraces and pats on the back. They'd ask who she was and she'd smile, give them her name and then go silent. She decided that she liked them, because none of them pushed for more than what she was willing to give and she noticed the look Jack threw them, whenever he could see they were about to ask for more.

He'd become somewhat of a protector to her and she reveled in it. If she wanted to do something, he pushed for her to do it and if she didn't want to, he stepped in the path of anyone or anything that tried to make her. She appreciated it; but didn't dare ask if it was a hindrance or a help to her predicament.

For all his kindness, though, there was a dark and brooding side of Jack that made her curious. She'd found him a few times, when she couldn't sleep and she'd wondered back out to the living-room and he was just sitting there, staring off into space. When he looked up at her, she could see that he'd been fighting an inner battle of some kind, warring with himself over something she couldn't quite place.

She wondered if he'd lost something, someone. There weren't any pictures of other people around the house, just the drawings from his nieces, stuck to the fridge and the walls. It was as though he'd surrounded himself with their bright, crayon colors so that he could hide from something darker.

During the day he was wonderful, they ate burgers at Rosy's because it was somewhere they were both comfortable and she didn't bat an eye when they walked through the trees down by the water's edge and his fingers slowly entwined with hers.

She'd only been staying with him a week but it felt like a lifetime.

Jack took her out in his boat; it was smaller than the one he worked on, large enough for a day out in the bay but not really good for anything else. It was old and rather left for the elements but Regina found that she liked the look of him driving it.

The sky had been clear when they'd set out, but four hours around the headland and the sky had turned an ominous grey. Thunder clapped and she wondered if they were safe. Jack assured her that if he kicked their speed up a notch, they'd make it back fine and only a little damp, but the storm came over faster than expected and they found themselves pelted by the rain.

He had to slow the boat right down, unable to see through the rain pounding the front window and Regina felt herself shivering through the pink coat he'd borrowed from his sister. Jack yelled for her to hold onto the frame, made her promise to not let go for anything as he headed towards the stern for the anchor.

Regina's heart pounded as she watched him scramble for his footing as the boat rocked; enough to terrify her, but not enough to knock him from the deck. She was shocked out of herself suddenly, when a wave struck her from behind, water thrashed her, going down through her clothes and forcing her to stumble forward. She threw her hands up, a reflex she didn't recognize because the action didn't brace her for the fall that was coming.

What did happen, however, was that Jack suddenly went flying into the air. His feet left the deck and though he tried to grab onto the boat, he flew clean over the side and into the tumultuous water.

Regina just stared at her hands in shock; she wasn't sure what had happened or how, but somehow she felt that it was her fault. She scrambled for the side of the boat he'd gone over and saw his head sticking out of the water. She screamed his name and he reached for her, his had gripping her wrist and she didn't quite know where the strength came from, but she was able to pull him back up to the side of the boat. He helped her the rest of the way; finding footing for himself on the edge of the boat and wrapping her in his arms as he clambered back over the side.

He managed to drop the anchor down before they both stumbled their way through the rain, down into the little cabin below deck.

It wasn't much but a lounge and a table, but it was out of the rain and the storm didn't seem so horrible from below.

Regina sat, staring up at the ceiling as they listened to the wind howl, shivering in her clothes that were soaked right through. Jack wasn't any better off; just as wet through but shivering a lot less. He was far more used to the rough storms that pounded their particular piece of coastline, whereas Regina's lips were slowly turning blue.

She didn't mention to him how she'd felt when he went over the side; but something like a shot of electricity had gone through her veins when she'd thrown her hands up. She didn't know how to explain it, but it had felt so incredibly strange. And again when she'd pulled him back into the boat, it was like a spark had shot straight through her arms.

She wanted to believe that her shivering was just from the cold, but even as Jack pulled her coat from her and wrapped a large blanket around her shoulders before pulling her into his arms, the shivering didn't stop.

"You okay?" Jack's voice was soft, right in her ear as she sat with her back to him, his arms wrapped tightly around her in an attempt to stop the shivering. She made a conscious choice not to think about what else it could mean; how close he was to her ear or how she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek as she turned her head. She didn't want to admit to herself that it warmed her from the inside out.

"Yeah," She sighed, pressing her eyes closed and leaning further back into his chest; ignoring how the proximity made her feel emotionally, and instead focusing on warming her down to her bones.

"You seemed a bit shaken, after I fell in." He whispered. "I'm fine."

Regina shuddered uncontrollably, shifting in her seat before she licked her lips. "I know."

"Everything's fine now."

"I know, it's just," She paused, laying her hands over his against her stomach, intertwining their fingers. "It was just so sudden, you know?" She lied, because she didn't know how to explain what had happened. She didn't know if he'd believe her or even if what she thought she'd felt really happened. It could have been the adrenaline, the fear; it could have been anything.

"The storm's already dying down. We'll just wait it out and head back, okay?"

"Yeah."

"How about," She could feel his lips form into a smile against her cheek but he didn't kiss her. A part of her wished he would, but another part was glad he didn't – she wasn't sure what she was capable of in that moment; she almost feared herself. "When we get back, I'll take you to my workshop?"

"Your workshop?" She turned in her seat, so that she could see his face.

"You'll see." He wiggled his eyebrows and Regina laughed gently, falling back against his chest and closing her eyes, focussing on the feel of his arms holding the blanket tightly around her and his chin pressed to the crown of her head. She did everything she could to put what she'd felt out in the storm, to the back of her mind.

To Be Continued.

.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack's workshop was the large shed down the far end of the yard. The house sat on an incline, the front door was ground level with the road but towards the back the yard took a sudden dip, hollowed out underneath for the downstairs bathroom and an old pool-table short a few ques. Beyond that the yard was relatively flat, before it reached the shed that backed onto the bay.

Regina hadn't asked about the building all the way down there; all she knew was that a few times she'd climbed out of bed in the middle of the night, unable to find him; then she'd seen a light on down there and only briefly wondered what was inside.

She smiled as he took her hand, leading her down the back stairs and across the moonlit yard. The storm had passed onto a somewhat muggy night, making the air thick but not uncomfortable. Fireflies lined the garden path and Regina found herself pulling against Jack's hand in order to watch them dance through the air. It was like stars had descended into the garden, lighting up the dark blue sky with streaks of yellow-gold.

She could feel Jack's eyes on her and though she tried to ignore it she knew she couldn't. She liked it too much. They hadn't known each other that long at all, but she was starting to feel that being inexplicably drawn to someone wasn't such a bad thing; especially when that someone was smiling at her through the light of a hundred fireflies in his back garden.

"Come on," He pulled her along, eliciting some laughter from her as the sea of fireflies parted for them and he led her through the quaint paneled doors of his workshop.

What she saw before her was beautiful. The room was a tight space; shelves lined one wall with all sorts of different colored glass and shapes, there was a collection of rustic metal rods that stood against a mottled brick wall. At the far end there was a large, open furnace that looked like the border had been handmade; decorated with protruding spheres of bright colored glass; and at the other, stood a tall oven with a large bolt on the side.

She stood in the doorway, just watching as Jack lit the furnace, filling the room with a bright orange glow that bounced off all the glass and made everything sparkle like it came straight out of a fairytale. He grinned at her as he shucked off his coat, dropping it on a chair before reaching for one of the long metal rods. She swallowed, trying not to look at the way the firelight illuminated his toned arms – as he was down to just a tank-top and jeans – but she couldn't pull her eyes away.

"Wanna make something?" He smirked and she nodded excitedly, tearing her eyes back to his face.

She had to admit though; it became incredibly hot in there, incredibly fast. Moving closer to the furnace, to where Jack sat between two metal frames with the long metal rod laying across his lap, she was stifling.

With apprehension and the knowledge that she had his full attention, she slowly removed her coat and laid it next to his on the chair, but soon realized it wasn't enough and was forced to take off her sweater as well, leaving herself in the only piece of clothing that belonged to her – a dark blue tank top she'd had under her suit the day they'd met – and Jack's sister's low-rise jeans that fit her everywhere but in length.

Her eyes didn't leave Jack's the whole time and it wasn't lost on her that this entire moment was about so much more than his glass-blowing. The way he watched her; the way the firelight danced off their skin. She felt her heart-rate speed up as she walked towards him and took the pair of protective glasses he held out to her.

Jack's eyes were intense; he reached out for her hand and pulled her towards him, shuffling back on the stool so that she could sit between his knees with her back to his chest – much the way they had on the boat, only now there was far less fabric between them and the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Jack's knees reached out further than hers and he rested the long pipe across them both; he guided her hands to rest on the pipe, covering them with his own and raised the pipe into the furnace. It was then that she noticed the large blob of molten glass that was heating just inside and even though she was distracted by the heat of his bare arms against her own, the molten glass was fascinating to watch as he twirled it onto the pipe.

"Is this dangerous?" She questioned, as he gently raised the pipe out of the furnace and moved the large blob of glass to the flat metal surface on the floor before them.

"Only if you're not careful," He remarked, guiding her hands as they rolled the glass into a perfect oval. "But it's alright," Regina's breath hitched as she felt his lips against her ear. "I won't let you get burned."

Regina laughed softly, feeling his chest against her shoulder blades as she took a deep breath. Jack was completely focused on the task, guiding her hands so that she rolled the pipe along the frame, showing her how best to do it. She watched the glass inflate as he blew through the end of the pipe, before resting it across their laps again and gesturing for her to do it herself.

Regina found herself less focused on the glass and more on the feeling of his chin on her shoulder. She could feel the sweat down the middle of her back and knew that her hair was sticking to the back of her neck. His hands drifted from their place on the pipe, over her wrists and up her arms. She shivered despite the heat, keeping the pipe rolling like he instructed but it was terribly difficult as she felt his fingertips dance along her bare arms.

"I've been starting to wonder how long we have to go on the way we are, before it's alright for me to tell you how beautiful I think you are."

Regina's head rolled back over his shoulder, her eyes closing tightly as she sucked in her bottom lip. The deep timbre of his voice vibrated through her with the compliment and she felt her heart flutter. "You didn't have to wait as long as you did." She sighed and Jack laughed, running his hands up and down her forearms.

"I wish I could know more about you."

"Me too." Regina laughed but Jack's hand having slipped down to cover hers stopped her suddenly. Her eyes followed his arm, over the strong lines of his muscles illuminated by the furnace' glow, down over his wrist and to where his calloused finger toyed with the emerald ring on her finger.

Regina pressed her eyes closed tight as she felt his other arm wrap around her waist. "I wish I could know who gave this to you."

"For what it's worth," She sighed. "It doesn't make me feel anything."

"What do you mean?"

Jack continued to run his finger over the ring and she could feel the pressure of his chin pressed to her shoulder, his cheek pressed to her cheek as he watched their hands. The long metal pipe had been forgotten, their glass creation dripping back into the furnace.

"Well, I just think if it was really meaningful, wouldn't I be able to feel some kind of connection to it?"

Jack shrugged. "I suppose. Still," He sighed. "It's a pretty significant symbol."

"What if I take it off?" Regina breathed heavily, leaning back against him and tilting her eyes up to the ceiling, leaving her throat exposed, causing him to lick his lips as he watched her. She wanted to open up to him and more importantly, she wanted him to open up to her. She hadn't cared about the ring on her finger since she'd wandered through the woods with no idea who she was; she hadn't even thought about it.

"It doesn't matter," He reluctantly moved his hand away. "Maybe it'd be best if we just wait. Give it a bit more time."

Regina turned around as best she could on the stool, meeting his eyes and marveling at how they glowed in the firelight. "What if I don't want to wait?"

Jack brushed her hair aside, letting his fingers rest on her cheek as he smiled. "Not forever, just a little while; Regina I've lost someone before and," His eyes were intense as he looked into hers. "I don't want to go through that again. Trust me, I wish this were easier, but if there's really someone out there looking for you, the last thing I want to do is destroy that life for you."

"But what if I don't want that life anymore?"

"You don't even know it."

"Exactly," She grinned. "I don't know where I come from or who I am, I don't know if there's anyone looking for me," She reached up, touching his face gently. "But I know how I feel, right now."

"And how's that?"

"That I want to kiss you."

Jack smiled broadly, wrapping his arms around her waist loosely, hugging her against him as she ran her thumb along his bottom lip. He hesitated for a time, just smiling down at her, marveling at her tenacity. She wanted to embrace the freedom her amnesia was affording her, but he was afraid of what it would mean if he let it all out on the table, only to learn that she had a love, back home; wherever home was for her.

He didn't want to risk it, but then again her smile was so honest and she was so sure of what she wanted – and he wanted it so badly – that he couldn't bring himself to deny it. She'd lived in his home for weeks, day in and day out, he'd found himself more and more drawn to her laughter and her pain. She was lost, incredibly, and he could recognize a broken heart when he saw one, even if she didn't know where that pain was coming from. She had fascinated him from the moment he'd met her and only continued to do so the more he got to know her.

He couldn't deny it anymore. He pressed his broad hand to the back of her head, thick dark locks of hair, curled up from the heat, trickled over his fingers in velveteen waves. Her eyes focused more intently on his as she raised her hands to press her palms to his cheeks.

Inches away from her lips he smiled, amazed that she wanted what he wanted, regardless of the consequences. Suddenly neither of them cared if she ever remembered her past; all that mattered was each other and the feeling that washed over them as their lips touched ever so softly.

It was tentative at first; just tasting. But as Jack's mouth opened and she felt herself pressing her body into his, a great wave of something powerful washed over them. A pulse rang out and the air was knocked from Regina's lungs as she fell back. Jack managed to catch her, seeing the flash of gold light cascade out of her as she collapsed in his arms.

Her eyes went terrifyingly wide as she looked back up at him. "True love's kiss." She whispered with her voice hoarse and raspy. She seemed shocked and overwhelmed and Jack was taken aback by the statement.

"What?" He frowned.

"I remember," Regina whispered, clinging to him tightly as the memories washed over her. "I'm not married," She sighed and Jack found himself pressing his forehead to hers, grateful for that small grace before the next words left her lips. "But we can't do this," She cried, struggling out of his hold. Jack was confused and disoriented by the sudden absence as she dashed across the room, putting as much distance between them as she could.

She had her fingertips pressed to her lips, tears pouring from her eyes as she backed away from him.

"I," She choked on a sob. "You don't want me."

"What? No, Regina, of course I do," He breathed, getting up from the stool with his arms out wide, hoping she would run into them. He tried to move towards her, but Regina raised her hands to eye-level, holding her palms up to face him as her hands glowed with magic; Jack's brow furrowed, completely lost as to what was suddenly happening. She was about to stop him with a spell when she realized what she was doing. Her eyes bulged and she struggled to breathe, backing up further towards the doors.

"No, you don't," Her voice cracked with the declaration. "I'm a monster." Jack barely had a chance to comprehend the words before she dashed out into the night. It was darker out there now, the fireflies having drifted away; he could hear her heeled boots on the stone steps before she disappeared behind the house and was suddenly, painfully, gone.

To Be Continued.


	9. Chapter 9

Henry sat patiently in each waiting room along the way, watching Emma's rather animated discussion with the policeman beyond the glass. It was the seventh police station in as many days, looking for any sign that his Mom was anywhere to be found.

There'd been no reports of a woman found wandering in the woods; none of them had ever heard of her and when they'd shown each sheriff Henry's closely guarded photo along the way, they'd all shrugged their shoulders and offered their sincerest condolences, but no one had seen her.

Almost three weeks into the search and five cheap hotel-rooms later, Emma was almost ready to give up. Henry still looked so hopeful, watching out the windows as they drove by every town they could find, watching for any sign of her. But even his hope was waning.

"Henry, I'm starting to think this might be a lost cause."

"No," He snapped, looking out the window, refusing to meet her eye. "She wouldn't stop looking for me so I'm not going to stop looking for her."

"Henry, I know you miss your mom; but we're looking at this as though she wants to be found. Maybe she doesn't."

Henry was silent for a moment, staring out the window at the sun slowly setting behind the trees. It was creeping up to night and they still hadn't found another hotel to stay in for the night. They'd become somewhat accustomed to the odd night in the car, with Henry wrapped up in the only blanket they had and Emma sitting awake with a flask of hot coffee rested between her gloved hands, just watching him. Sometimes she didn't even have the coffee.

A few times, she'd wondered if that image is what life would have been like, had she kept him. She didn't really want to think of how he'd have turned out, had she not given him away. For a long time she'd lived out of that little yellow bug and she hated to imagine that if Henry hadn't had Regina, that's what his life would have been.

Trashy hotel rooms, pick-pocketed candy and nights in a freezing little bug.

She had a new respect for Regina; it'd been building for some time but it wasn't until she saw the way Henry reacted to his mother's loss, that she realized just the effect the woman had on him. He behaved like he believed she didn't love him, spewed hateful words in her face, but Regina had never faltered in her love for him.

Emma had doubted her honesty back in the beginning but the truth was; she hadn't been able to read Regina at all. The woman was a closed book, stoic, expressive but guarded. Even Emma's so called super-power had failed to break that impassive mask. It was only now she realized where that glaze of impassivity had come from; now that she knew the Evil Queen and where she'd come from.

After meeting Cora, she had a brand new understanding for the pain Regina must have lived with all her life.

She couldn't excuse the things she'd done and was fairly certain there was a lot she didn't know, but she could understand some of it. Especially her desire to give Henry everything she'd been denied; even if that meant removing herself from the equation. Emma wondered what kind of strength it required, to walk away like that.

For the first time since they'd met, she wondered how much pain that must have caused her.

"I can't give up on her." Henry spoke softly and Emma almost didn't hear him over the sound of her own thoughts, but as she turned her eyes down to the boy who kept looking out the window, she smiled.

"Then we won't."

He turned to her, smiling up at her with the hope she'd seen every day for the last few weeks. It waned with each town they passed through, but it was never gone.

Turning her eyes back to the road, Emma grinned when she noticed the tree line covered in fireflies. "Henry, look at that." She pointed and he sat up straighter in his seat, watching the bright little creatures dance along the side of the road.

He grinned brightly, the first real joy she'd seen on his face since she and Mary-Margaret had arrived home. The fireflies flew in droves, hundreds of them lighting up the road. They started to form a trail down the one side and Emma and Henry shared a curious glance. "Should we follow them?"

Emma looked skeptical.

"Come on, you fought Ogres and Giants and you're not going to believe in a trail of fireflies trying to tell you something?"

She smirked. "It's not that, Henry,"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Then what is it?"

"I just don't want you to get your hopes up that there's some magical solution to finding your mom."

Henry opened his mouth to respond when a great gust of wind knocked the car off course, they each felt it pass over their bodies as the all-encompassing golden pulse of light nearly forced Emma off the road.

"It's my Mom, it's gotta be!" Henry shouted, pointing to a side street that lead off into the darkened woods – the direction from where the pulse had come. There was a rickety old sign lying awkwardly at an angle, its frame leaning against the old wire fence with the town name obscured by a fallen tree.

Emma turned the car down the road, realizing it was some sort of back entrance to a sleepy town near to the coast. They'd detoured off the main highways a few days back, sure that if Regina really had headed out from so deep in the forest, and she hadn't turned up in any of the main townships yet, there was little chance that she'd made it far. At least they hoped that was true, because if she had, Emma feared for Henry when he discovered Regina very well could be long gone.

"There!" He pointed to a small building nestled in the trees; the trail of fireflies ran right up to the door that was surrounded by string-lights and the warm glow of a fire from within.

To Be Continued.


	10. Chapter 10

Regina had run as fast as she could; straight up the hill towards the only other place that had given her comfort in the weeks she'd spent without a clue who she was. She stumbled in through the door; shivering against the cold she hadn't even realized was hitting the bare skin of her arms.

"Regina," Rosy gasped, dropping the cloth she'd been wiping the bench with and dashing towards the younger woman. Who wasn't really younger at all, if Regina really gave her time in the Enchanted Forest any weight. "Sweetheart, what happened?" Rosy ushered her to a seat, grabbing her coat from the coat-rack and throwing it over Regina's shoulders.

She tried to shuffle away from the woman, but she wasn't having any of it. She considered forcing her to leave and she did raise her hand; her fingers curling up with the intent to push her back but she stopped herself. She gasped at the intent, terrified that she could have made such a change so quickly.

"I remember who I am." She sobbed and Rosy's arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly into her side as she cried into the woman's shoulder.

"Is it that you don't like what you see?"

"It's frightening." Regina whispered. She leaned back to meet Rosy's eyes and her own were red and puffy, worried this woman would run away the moment she found out and terrified that Jack was going to come barging in after her, any moment.

"I don't see how that could possibly be, darling."

"Oh, you have no idea. Jack," She stopped herself and Rosy looked at her knowingly, nodding her head as she tucked Regina closer against her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders tighter.

"So it's Jack then?" She raised her chin. "I thought so."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm an old woman, Regina, but I'm not blind." Regina found herself blushing, averting her eyes from the woman that was clearly looking right through her.

"I'm just terrified that once he understands who I really am, he'll never want to see me again."

"Oh," Rosy rubbed Regina's shoulders, attempting to warm her as she spoke. "I don't think that'll be. That boy is smitten with you." She winked. "I haven't seen him this taken in since," She faltered, looking at Regina through the corner of her eye as she pondered what to say. "Did he tell you, about her?"

"That he lost someone?"

Rosy nodded. "She was his first love." Rosy nodded. "There was an accident, he's blamed himself for a long time – it's why he keeps himself so closed off; that was until you arrived." Rosy looked straight into Regina's eyes and studied her closely for a long moment. "You know what that feels like, don't you, dear?"

Regina swallowed. "His name was Daniel." She cleared her throat; the impassive expression of the Evil Queen reducing her features to a look of calm indifference. "He was killed."

"That's a terrible burden to carry on your heart."

"I've made do." Regina stated, her tears slowly drying and the bitter twang of the Queen's stoic tongue, biting back. Rosy noticed the change in her immediately, straightening herself up in the chair as she looked her in the eye.

"Oh you poor girl," Rosy reached up, touching the side of Regina's face with a gentle hand. "Who hurt you so?"

Regina's resolve faltered and she crumbled against the table-top, her tears returning full-force as her body shook with sobs. "I don't want to be this." She cried, holding her head in her hands as Rosy rubbed her back gently. "I tried to run away from this, for Henry, but I couldn't and then I wound up here. I don't even know how. I wasn't going to step over the line, I couldn't, he was all I had." Rosy furrowed her brow, unsure of what Regina was talking about.

"What do you mean, dear?"

"It's complicated."

The bell on the door chimed and Rosy noticed it, looking over her shoulder at the new visitors, but Regina didn't seem to notice, continuing to sob into the green and white flecked table-top.

"Mom?"

Regina's heart stopped. Rosy felt her whole body tense and looked between the little boy in the doorway and the woman in her arms. Regina slowly raised her head, turning to look over Rosy's shoulder at the two that had entered the diner so quietly. The boy stood there, almost afraid to enter and the woman behind him worried her bottom lip as she watched the pair, sharing with Rosy a concerned glance.

"Henry." She gasped, struggling out from the table as the boy broke into a run towards her.

Emma watched Henry nearly knock the wind right out of Regina, his arms wrapping so tightly around her as he pressed his face against her stomach. "I thought we'd never find you." He stated, clinging tighter as Regina hugged him back.

Regina dropped to a crouch before him, unable to stop herself from touching his face, from running her fingers through his hair; unable to stop herself from checking he was real. "You came looking for me." She breathed, smiling through her tears and Henry laughed, wrapping his arms around her neck from another hug.

"Of course," He grinned, hugging her tighter and Regina met Emma's eye over Henry's shoulder. They shared a look and Emma just nodded, shoving her hands in her pockets with a shrug of her shoulders.

To Be Continued.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack didn't know what to do. He was afraid, yes, but not of Regina – never of Regina. He was afraid of what she was going to do, how she was going to deal with whatever it was that had come flooding back to her. He barely registered the glow of her hands as she'd held them up to him; having no idea what was going on, all he'd wanted to do was reach out to her, but she'd disappeared before he could.

He dashed after her; knowing the only place she was likely to go he gave her a few seconds head-start before he headed for the stairs. The night had grown cold and damp, steam puffed out from his mouth as he ran and he knew as soon as he stopped, he was going to feel the chill, but he didn't care.

He made it to the top of the hill, Rosy's diner stood just a few feet away and he slowed his pace, heading towards the stairs knowing it was the only place she could be. He stopped suddenly, in the middle of the carpark when he saw the door standing open. There was a woman with her back to him, standing in the doorway with her hands in her pockets and beyond it; he saw something that completely surprised him.

Regina was down on her knees with her arms wrapped around a little boy. "Henry," He'd heard her gasp and he'd felt his own heart soar at the idea that she'd found someone she remembered.

He considered turning away, giving her space and letting her think about everything that had happened, but then he remembered the fear in her eyes, the self-doubt. He didn't want her to go another moment thinking there was anything in her past that could scare him away.

"Regina," He breathed, stepping up to the door. The woman in the way stepped to the side and he noticed her eyes widen and switch between the two of them. The little boy turned around quickly, just as Regina noticed him standing there and he tried to smile, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he started to feel the cold.

"Jack."

"What's going on?" He tried to keep his tone light; worried he'd frighten her away.

"This," She hesitated, gripping the little boy's shoulders as he stood in front of her. "This is Henry," She met Jack's eyes, almost nervously. "My son."

Jack tentatively took a few steps forward, holding his hand out with a kind smile. Henry took it, shaking it vigorously with a bright grin. "It's nice to meet you, Jack." He beamed up at him and Jack couldn't help but smile in return.

"Likewise, kid." He looked back up at Regina, trying to convey everything he felt in just that look. "So you came looking for your Mom, did you?" He questioned, not taking his eyes off her face.

"Yeah, we kinda need her." The woman behind him cut in and he noticed Regina's eyes widen in surprise, before he looked over his shoulder at her. "Sorry, I'm Emma, just a -" He noticed her share a look with Regina. "- friend."

"You need her?"

"It's a long story."

"Literally," Henry chuckled and Jack noticed Regina squeeze his shoulder just slightly. He looked between the three of them, from Emma behind him, to Henry and back to Regina. He noticed that Rosy had made herself scarce behind the counter, for which he was grateful as he tried to wrap his head around what was going on.

"Jack," Regina started, ushering Henry towards Emma as she stepped up to meet him. He hadn't been so conscious of their difference in height until that moment, when she looked so small staring up at him, hoping he was going to understand whatever terrible truths she had to share. "Do you believe in magic?"

"Up until today, I'd have probably said no."

"But now?"

The corner of his mouth tipped upward slightly. "I don't really know. That was a pretty neat trick you pulled before you ran out of my workshop."

Regina blushed, remembering the deep purple glow that had emanated from her hands as she'd fought against forcing him back with her magic. "I stopped myself," She stated quietly and Jack frowned.

"No," He leaned down closer to her, lowering his voice. "I mean that bright light when we kissed."

"True love's kiss!" Henry beamed and Jack turned around quickly, finding himself grinning as he pointed at Regina.

"That's what she said when it happened."

"Henry," Regina shushed him and the boy was smart enough to take a step back against Emma, closing his mouth and letting them speak. "Oh, but wait, that's how I remembered. It was the kiss." Regina looked up at him, her eyes wide in realization.

"So you did forget." Henry chimed in again and Regina found herself nodding dumbly, staring up at Jack with new eyes. "You saved her. You broke the curse."

"I'm sorry," Jack frowned. "I don't understand."

"She's a fairytale character." Emma stated flatly and Jack just blinked.

"What? Like a princess?"

"Actually," He turned around at the sound of Henry's voice, his mouth hanging open in surprise. Henry just looked proud – Regina never thought she'd ever see that look on Henry's face when talking about what and who she was, but the surprise of the change was pleasant – maybe things could be different. "She's a Queen."

"Have you ever read the story of Snow White?" Regina spoke softly, hesitant to meet his eyes so she kept them on Henry.

"Yeah," Jack breathed as she slowly turned to him. The world narrowed to just the two of them and he could feel his heart-rate quicken.

"I'm referred to as the Evil Queen." Her voice was barely above a whisper, barely contained disdain dripping from the moniker. "I hurt people, because people had hurt me."

"And I'm sorry, Regina," Emma frowned, cutting in on the moment suddenly, ripping Jack's attention away from her. "I can see that something has happened for you here, and I'm actually glad, honestly." Regina found herself gripping Jack's elbows, holding onto him tightly before she even realized she was touching him at all. "But we need you to come back. We need your magic."

"No," Regina stepped closer to Jack. "No, I promised I wouldn't use magic anymore, Henry," She turned down to him. "I don't want to break that promise."

"Mom, it's okay. You're the only one that can do this, I believe in you."

"Why can't Rumple help you? Why me?" Jack watched the exchange curiously, feeling Regina's firm grip on his arms – feeling that she needed something to ground her in that moment he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. "I can't." She choked.

"It's Cora." The words caught Regina by surprise and she held onto Jack so tight her knuckles went white and her expression went completely vacant.

"What?"

"Who's Cora?" Jack asked.

"My mother." Regina answered. "How did she get to Storybrooke?"

"Actually," Emma cleared her throat and winced. "That'd be my fault."

Regina saw red and all thoughts of keeping her promise were lost. She suddenly let go of Jack and stormed towards Emma, she bore her teeth in her anger, and threw her arm up; she caught Emma in a tight web and threw her against the wall.

With a glow of purple around her hands she tightened the hold slowly, sinching Emma tighter as she narrowed her eyes. "You let my mother into this world; you let her close to my son."

"Regina, please." Emma gasped out between wheezes, trying to breathe but Regina squeezed her fist tighter and Emma's face started to go blue.

"Mom, stop!" Henry shouted and Regina looked to him, overwhelmed with the want to stop but unable to forgive that her mother had been allowed to pass into Storybrooke.

"Regina, don't do this." Jack's voice was calm and steady, so close behind her ear that she shuddered with the feel of his breath against her skin. "You don't have to be that woman anymore."

"You don't know my mother, Jack; you don't know what Emma's unleashed."

"No," He sighed, resting his palm against her hip and letting the tips of his fingers touch the smallest hint of bare flesh between her tank-top and her jeans. "But I know you and this isn't you."

She felt tears burn her eyes; her grip loosened but she didn't let Emma go. "It is me."

"No," He trailed his palm around to her stomach, pulling her back against his chest and kissing her hair. "It doesn't have to be."

Emma dropped to the floor with a thud and Henry ran to her, helping her stand as she clutched at her throat. "I think I can let that one slide," She narrowed her eyes at Regina. "All history considered."

Regina glared at her. "You have no idea what you've done."

"No," Emma hissed; that familiar bitterness of their banter returning at full force. "But how about instead of blaming me, you help me make it right."

Reluctantly, Regina nodded. "For Henry."

"Yeah, for Henry." Emma agreed.

"So what do we do?" Jack asked and Regina turned to him in surprise.

"What?"

"What are we going to do? How do we get your Mom?"

Regina was dumbfounded; lost for words her mouth moved for a moment but no sound came out. "You," She stammered over the word. "You want to help?" He looked over to Rosy who nodded her head – the old woman knew what he was going to say and he was glad that he had her approval.

There was nothing left for him there and he'd known it for a while.

"I want to be with you."

"But I'm a monster."

Jack smiled, gesturing down to Henry. "Not to your son," She took note of Henry's reassuring nod. "Not to Emma, right?" It was harder to get an answer out of her, but eventually Emma agreed. He smiled with tears in his eyes, holding her face in his hands. "And you're definitely not a monster to me."

"There's a lot you don't know, Jack. I've done things..."

"Then tell me."

"It's not a simple story."

Leaning in, Jack touched his lips to hers lightly, pressing firmer when he realized she wasn't going to fight him. He kissed her thoroughly, pressing his forehead to hers as they parted. "I can take it." He breathed, looking into her eyes and slowly, with a smile growing on her lips, Regina nodded.

"Okay."

"My book's in the car." Henry beamed and Regina laughed softly.

"That'll help, sweetie, thank you." She grabbed a hold of his shoulders, pulling him towards her so that she could kiss the top of his head; she ran her fingers through his hair, tilting his head up so that she could see his face. "I love you, Henry."

"I know I said I didn't," Henry wrapped his arms around Regina's waist and Jack patted his shoulder as he did so. "But I love you too."

THE END.


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